Illogical and Irrational
by MiseryMaker
Summary: Rampant, baseless speculation about where things could go after the end of S8. To repair the damage done to their relationship at the end of Season 8, Booth needs Bones to be the opposite of rational and logical.
1. Chapter 1

Thanks for stopping here. I am quite surprised by how excited I am about Bones Season 9. My enthusiasm has been renewed, and I hope that we'll get another one of those great seasons that stands out as especially memorable this year. The fact that I was inspired to write something after nearly forgetting that I'd ever written any fanfiction is proof that my enthusiasm for Bones has returned. This is by no means a great work of literary art, but it sure was fun dabbling in storytelling again. Here's hoping that what's planned for Season 9 by the people who actually own and write for the show is far more entertaining.

Disclaimer: I do not own or make any claim to Bones or its characters. All rights to the show belong to the network, the show's owners, and its writers. I am a huge fan of their work.

Illogical and Irrational

Chapter 1 (of 2)

After being wounded emotionally and very deeply by Booth's refusal to marry her, Bones had retreated to the safety and predictability of her beloved science, opting to stay late in the lab on what had ended up being alternating nights. Unable to bear the silences and the awkward lapses in conversation that had plagued them since that ill-fated night when he'd rejected her proposal, Booth had agreed to her unspoken request and supported her need for time and space. He'd hated every moment of it, but what else could he do? He'd encouraged her to open her metaphorical heart to him fully, and she'd opened it wide only to have him kick her in the gut for doing so. He'd been an ass. He'd done the unforgiveable. He'd done what Cam and Sweets had warned him long ago would do irreparable damage to her—to them. So while Bones was outwardly being logical and understanding and forgiving, Booth didn't buy that they had really put this behind them.

Bones was being honest with him, and he knew that she was not lying to him about forgiving him. But she was still hurting, and he wasn't sure anymore that he could be the one to help heal her broken heart. There had just been too many lonely nights with them each hugging their own pillow facing away from one another. She'd cried herself to sleep too many times, each of her tears driving a dagger into Booth's heart from the realization that he was the source of her all-too-obvious pain. Understandably, Bones had turned to her friends for comfort and consolation. He was grateful that she hadn't walled herself off completely. Years earlier, she would have isolated herself from everyone else while she rationalized away the reasons for her pain and withdrawn to an extent that nobody could hurt her because she was keeping them at a safe distance. Gratefully, she hadn't done that this time.

In fact, it was obvious to everyone—and painfully obvious to Booth-that Bones was an even more doting mother and a more dedicated friend to Angela and others these days. She had channeled her energy into all of her other relationships—while her bond with Booth remained intact but strained at best.

Dealing with the distance between Bones and him had been excruciating. On top of that, Booth had actually been on the receiving end of Angela's full wrath-physically and emotionally. She'd slugged him hard the first time she'd seen him after she'd heard what he'd said to Bones. While she was the only one to attack him physically, everyone else had made it clear that they'd chosen sides and the he was not the side chosen. Being on the outside of the tight circle of their common friends and co-workers was a small price to pay for his sabotage of their otherwise blossoming relationship. Sure, he was lonely, but he could learn to live without those friendships. He could not… under any circumstances… learn to live with the chasm between him and Bones that had grown since he'd turned down her proposal.

Making things right with her became his primary focus. For months after he refused to marry her, Booth had planned ahead carefully for what he'd do once he could talk to her. He had dreamt of days when they'd be close and happy and things would be light and relaxed between them again. He'd grown more than impatient waiting for the day he might speak to her honestly again. And on the night they'd caught Pelant, he told her the first moment he could have.

After overcoming multiple obstacles and getting lucky more than once, the team had found the evidence they needed to arrest Pelant and put him away permanently. Both Booth and Bones had insisted on being at the scene for the arrest—to stand together united facing him the last time he would be a free man. Knowing that he'd try to escape or do harm to others, both partners had arrived armed and fully prepared to be the one to shoot Pelant if needed. When they'd finally tracked him down to arrest him, Pelant had intentionally blown himself up rather than be captured. Sensing that the explosion was imminent too late to stop it, Booth had run to straight to Temperance. Without offering any warning or explanation, he had pulled her slightly farther away from the danger and knocked her down, covering her body with his own as Pelant hit the button that blew him to bits and caused a mist of horror from him to rain down on them for the very last time. Fortunately, neither partner had been injured aside from superficial bumps and bruises and cuts.

After they'd both given interviews and briefed the appropriate officials, the pair showered off quickly and donned medical scrubs to wear home. Then Booth had put an arm around his partner and walked her to his SUV. She'd turned automatically to climb into the passenger side, but he'd tugged on her elbow and turned her around to face him. After staring at her for a long moment, he'd closed the distance between them and kissed her, trying to convey his feelings and apology into the kiss. He'd tried and failed at this type of nonverbal communication many times before. It wasn't as if they hadn't kissed or had sex in months—many times making love had been easier than talking. All of those times, Booth had hoped that she could feel what he hadn't been able to say to her for so long. Of course, it hadn't worked, but he'd kept trying.

Now that Pelant was finally out of their lives for good, Booth had to tell her right then—the moment their hell was finally over. Because she still had no idea why he'd hurt her the way he had, he had to explain things, provide her with evidence that they would be fine and take the first step toward repairing the damage. Standing in the middle of a crime scene still literally covered in pieces of Pelant, Booth had finally told her about Pelant's threats and about his efforts to protect her, Christine, the squints, and the people Pelant had threatened to kill from harm. He had spoken to her in soft tones but really hadn't cared at all if anyone except Bones had heard—he had to tell her the first moment that confessing the truth was possible. He told her that he was sorry-God-awful sorry-for rejecting her proposal and hurting her so deeply. He begged her to forgive him. He told her he'd do anything to have her forgive him. He told her he understood that what he'd done was unforgivable. He told her that he understood if she couldn't… if she didn't want to… forgive him.

She'd forgiven him almost immediately. Surprising him as she always did by reacting as only she could, Bones had honestly forgiven the absolutely unforgiveable. At the warp speed at which she considered all evidence and processed new information, Temperance had listened to his explanation of the ultimatum Pelant had given him, accepted his reasons for telling her that he did not want to marry her, and forgiven him completely.

It had been mere seconds. He'd stopped for a breath, prepared to start begging and pleading with her for her forgiveness. He'd had months to rehearse what he'd say, and he knew that he had to say or do something to help her understand. He'd been prepared for her to wall him off, put distance between them, and ask for time to process the information. But he could not have anticipated that she would pause for a moment before looking at him and taking his hand in her own. "I understand your motivation and the reason for your actions, Booth. I forgive you."

"I… You…," he'd stammered, tears filling his eyes unbidden. Only in a circumstance of this great importance would Booth have been on the verge of actually crying at a crime scene. He was so stunned by her words that he hadn't even paused to think that anyone else in the world was there—because in that very moment, nobody else in the world mattered but Bones. "Bones…."

As he held her, she reassured him further, "You acted bravely and logically for the protection of your family and of strangers whose lives were threatened. Your actions were justified given the circumstances. I probably would have made the same decision had I been presented with such an ultimatum. I realize that you were trying to do the right thing, Booth. And I do forgive you." Through her honesty, Booth could clearly see the pain still lingering in her eyes. She may have forgiven him, but she was still hurting.

"Oh, Bones… baby, I…," Booth leaned in to kiss her tenderly before pulling her into a crushing hug. "I'm so sorry. This has been killing me. I… I thought I'd lose you… I… I swear I never meant to hurt you, Bones." He muttered and rambled as he held her close.

"I know," she'd replied, smiling supportively at him and attempting to hide any lingering doubts from him. "I would like to go home now." And so they did.

By the time they got home, showered properly, and talked some more, he was convinced that she really was being sincere. He knew that she wasn't lying to him. She really did forgive him. He'd been forgiven—something he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to do for himself after this situation. That night, Booth wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body against his where it belonged and promising her that he'd earn her friendship back, that he'd do whatever it took to help repair their relationship. She had reassured him that they were fine and thanked him for being honest with her. He'd promised he'd never be anything but honest with her again.

The next morning, Booth still saw all too clearly the pain that flickered in her eyes when she forgot to hide it from him. Bones clearly wasn't going to hold a grudge, but recovering from this would take time—perhaps a long time. Around noon, Booth stopped by the lab bearing flowers and takeout along with paperwork they needed to complete. She'd smiled at him in earnest welcome, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. As they sat there working companionably, both Angela and Cam had come by separately as if to offer silent support to Temperance. More specifically, the expressions on both women's faces told Booth clearly that they were each willing to kick him out on his ass if she wanted him out of there. Temperance had admonished each of them, explaining that Booth had behaved honorably and that they should forgive him for hurting her—because she had done so and was now moving forward.

He was touched by her support and reminded by her supporters that he had much to do to repair the trust he had broken.

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Over time, the rift between them grew smaller. They were still more reserved and less free with one another than they had been before, but the tension was diffused and not as smothering as it used to be. Booth tried not to prompt her for information about her feelings, but sometimes it was too hard to sit and wonder. One evening when they were sitting on the sofa having wine and scotch, respectively, as she was reading while he watched the game on TV with the sound turned down, he looked over at her and asked, "Are we okay, Bones?"

She put down her book, took a sip of wine, and pondered for a brief moment. "I suspect that you feel the way I did after I returned from hiding," she offered thoughtfully. "You were so gracious accepting me back into your life and moving past my deception and the hurt that our absence caused you. I feel inclined to try to be as understanding and forgiving, Booth. You did what you thought you had to do. Just the way I did when I took Christine and left you. I am still committed to our relationship—as you were then."

"Thanks, Bones. I really appreciate that," he said, glancing at her briefly and then looking away thoughtfully.

"Your facial expression and body language indicate that you are still concerned," she noted ever-observantly.

"Yeah," he replied.

"What specifically is bothering you, Booth?"

He sighed and rubbed his hands on his face as if scrubbing it. Then he turned to her and moved closer, taking her hand in his and tracing imaginary lines on it with his thumb as he thought. "You're right about the situations being similar. But… what I did to hurt you was worse."

"Booth, trying to quantify and keep score isn't a productive way to…"

"No, Bones. Hear me out. Over all the years of our partnership, you evolved from someone who didn't even believe in marriage to someone who was proposing. You dove in and shifted your perspective. And I know better than most people how hard that had to be for you. And me… turning you down? I… It seemed like the right thing to do—the only thing I could do to keep you and Christine and those other people safe—but turning you down when you risked so much, invested so much, cared so much…?" He paused, clearly overcome with raw emotion. He cleared his throat and looked at her, his strain apparent on his face and in his posture, "If the situation was reversed, I don't think I'd be able to put it behind me… not quickly anyway."

Pain in her expression, she nodded, blinking back tears.

"You have no idea how bad I feel… how sorry I am."

She squeezed his hand and moved to wipe a stray tear from her face.

He put an arm around her and pulled her closer. Her head on his shoulder, they sat staring at the fire that was now smoldering instead of raging brightly enough to warm them across the room.

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Six months later, the couple was continuing to repair the damage to their relationship. At times, it seemed that they were the way they had been when they first moved into their house—before she had run away with Christine to hide and before he had broken her heart when he refused her proposal. As usual, they had made slow progress, but they had, in fact, grown closer and repaired some of the damage to their relationship. Despite their return to a more solid foundation, the subject of marriage had been entirely off the table since that night Booth had told her he didn't need to get married. Booth had known for some time that she would not ask him again. He wouldn't have expected her to do so. Changing your mind so completely about such a closely held belief was a big deal—a once-in-a-lifetime event. But he still wanted to get back to a place where they could consider it… or just talk about it. The problem had been that he had no idea where to start or what to do. Because he was still on "you're lucky we didn't kill you" status with Angela and Cam, he couldn't talk to them about it. And he certainly couldn't talk to Bones. But he thought a lot about it and one day, he was struck with an idea. It was a risk, he knew, but he hoped it was a risk worth taking.

Temperance was locked up in her office working on the outline for her latest book. She was late sending information to her agent, and she had put work aside later in the afternoon in order to make sketching out the rest of the plot for the book a priority. She had sent a text to Booth telling him that she would be staying late at the office. He had whined but accepted the fact eventually.

However, at 6:00 p.m. sharp, Booth knocked on the door to her office. She looked up and grimaced, suspecting that he had forgotten the arrangement. As she started to protest, he held up a hand to silence her. Puzzled, she stopped speaking.

"I have somewhere I'd like to take you tonight," Booth began, looking up at her cautiously, trying to gauge her reaction.

"Booth, I…."

"I know that you need to work on your book. But I… this is important. I need you to trust me and come with me," he tried his charm smile and felt hopeful when she did not directly refuse.

"Where is Christine? Can we do this tomorrow… or some other evening? I have a deadline."

"Your deadline is next week, Bones. One more day won't make a difference."

She could tell by his stance and the determination in his eyes that he was going to insist that she go with him. Frustrated but eager to get past this distraction from her work, she rose and moved to get her jacket.

"Thanks, Bones," he said with a smile, moving to help her put the jacket on.

"Where are we…?" she began, but he spun her around and kissed her… a bit more deeply and passionately than he typically would at her office—or his.

He watched her eyes as they opened when he broke the kiss off, smiling at the dazed expression on her face. Damn, it felt good to know he could still affect her that way. He grinned at her and waggled his eyebrows at her cockily before leading her out to the garage to his waiting SUV.

"I'm going to need for you to trust me, Bones," he said, fishing a piece of cloth out of his coat pocket and holding it up while simultaneously motioning for her to turn around.

"I refuse to allow you to tie me up here, Booth," she said, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Jeez, Bones. Get your mind out of the gutter, will ya?" he groaned. He walked around so that he could face her. "This is a blindfold. I'm going to put it on you."

"A blindfold? Booth, I'll look ridiculous. I see no reason…."

"There is a reason, but it's not one you'll like. I'm asking you to trust me, Bones. I need you to do something completely illogical and irrational. Just put this on and go with me… No questions asked."

Never one to give in easily, she put her hands on her hips and eyed him warily, "And if I do this, you'll let me finish working on the book?"

"Yes, if that's what you want to do," he consented.

"Fine, let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

**_As usual, your reviews and comments are amazingly eloquent and far too kind. And I loved them. Thanks so much for reading here! _**

**_Aimed for simple and heartfelt as a way to deal with the disconnect that happened at the end of the season. Eager to hear if this works or it's too hokey. _**

**_Still don't own Bones or any rights to its lovely characters, but I am counting the days until Season 9 premieres. My daughter is rapidly catching up on old episodes, so we might actually get to watch this season together. Twice the fun!_**

**'_Til then, we all get to wait and wonder and speculate…._**

* * *

Chapter 2

The entire ride in the car, Temperance used her considerable skill to try to determine where they were and in what direction they were heading even though she was blindfolded. Anticipating her ability and her compulsion to try to spoil his surprise, Booth avoided direct routes to each of their destinations. He found it amusing watching her concentrate so hard to figure out where they were going without any real clues to guide her. Not that lack of information had ever stopped her from trying. God, he loved her. He just hoped she had some idea how much.

At the first stop, he rushed around the car to help her out of the vehicle. After taking her hand, he put an arm around her and guided her carefully to their destination. Temperance strained to identify their surroundings. She instantly felt a cool breeze on her face and smelled the salty air of the coast. She stumbled slightly as Booth guided her up and onto some sort of wooden walkway, but he held on tight and made sure she didn't fall. She grumbled, asking him again why the blindfold was necessary. He chuckled, reminding her that she enjoyed being spontaneous at times. He was rewarded with a sharp poke of her elbow in his ribs.

After a few moments, they stopped walking, and she felt him move behind her and wind his arms around her possessively, pulling her body back against his own. She shivered as she felt his evening stubble scratch her face and neck as his warm breath caressed her ear delightfully, "Where are we, Bones?"

She relaxed against his body and allowed her acute sensory perception to have free reign. "Near the bay or the ocean. I cannot discern our precise location, but I can ascertain from the sounds our shoes made as we walked that we are standing on some sort of wooden structure."

"A+, Bones," Booth whispered into her ear as he kissed the tender flesh just beneath it and slipped the blindfold from her eyes.

She blinked. Even the dusky light of evening seemed bright after she had been blindfolded so long. She scanned the horizon, took in their surroundings, and asked, "Why are we here?"

He released her from his tight embrace and walked around in front of her. Predictably, she ached for the loss of the warmth and strength that were no longer supporting her. As always, Booth was physically imposing, and the loss of contact with his strong body made her yearn for him. As the bright hues of the sunset framed his face, Booth smiled at her. He took her hands and spoke tenderly to her. "Do you remember the last time we were here?"

Mere seconds later, she responded, "Yes," and swallowed hard as she glanced away to avoid the intensity of his gaze. She'd realized the significance of this stop the moment she'd seen where they were. That recognition had stirred old memories of pain and loss and regret that she'd long since buried and strongly preferred to keep at a distance.

"I followed you here to the marina that morning," he confessed, his facial expression indicating that he had more information to reveal. "I never told you this before, but Sully actually asked me to be there—to be with you after he left. I would have found you and looked out for you anyway, but he asked me to be there."

"He did...? Why...?"

"He knew, Bones. He knew that you'd be upset, and he knew that I would be able to help you... distract you... comfort you," his voice dropped noticeably as he spoke those last few words.

Clearly rattled by the reference to painful old memories, she attempted to change the subject, "Booth, I don't wish to rehash old relationships. It's not productive. I don't..."

"Shhh...," he hushed her, squeezing one hand and releasing the other so that his hand was free to cup her face adoringly for a long moment.

"We're not here to talk about Sully. That day was important, Bones. Not because you said goodbye to Sully but because you stayed here with me, Bones—despite the fact that you wanted to go, despite the fact that he loved you, despite the fact that I told you to go." He paused a moment and then smiled at her lovingly, his eyes warm and brown and full of love only for her, "You stayed here... to be my partner..., Bones. You stayed with me... even though it wasn't rational or logical. I loved you for it then, and I still love you for it now. Thank you for staying with me, Bones." He pulled her into his arms and held her close. Neither spoke; no more words were necessary.

After the sun had slipped below the horizon, Booth turned Bones around and led her back to his car. She smiled at him as he helped her in and he kissed her cheek lightly before closing the door. As he climbed into the SUV, she reached across and took his hand, enjoying the familiar and comforting feeling of the way their fingers entwined so naturally. He backed out of the parking spot and pulled back out onto the road.

"I appreciate the sentiment and your words, Booth. But was the blindfold really necessary?"

"Yes," he said with a glimmer in his eye.

They stopped at a random roadside diner and ate dinner companionably. Then, as they returned to his vehicle, he reached out and handed the blindfold back to her. "Booth, I..."

"Just put it on, Bones," he said with a wink. Sighing audibly, she climbed into the car and put the blindfold back on.

She might have been willing to cooperate, but she wasn't going to do so without complaining, "I look ridiculous, and I cannot comprehend any rational reason for wearing this blindfold. Explain your rationale, Booth."

After sighing loudly, he explained, "You have to wear it because you're a genius."

He watched as she screwed up her face in frustration, "Your logic is flawed. If that were the case, I'd have to wear it at all times, Booth."

He laughed and shook his head even though she couldn't see it, "No, you need the blindfold because without it, you'll figure out where we're going, and you'll look at me and distract me. I'm gathering my thoughts, Bones. And the blindfold is a compensating control—to make things more even between us."

"I am of superior intellect and process information extremely quickly," she exclaimed with her usual enthusiasm. "I accept your terms."

He took her hand and squeezed it, kissing her knuckles lightly as he lowered their hands to the console in his car.

After another ride, Booth parked the car again. But this time, he didn't open the car door or make any other movements. "Where are we, Bones?"

"Booth, you know that I cannot sense anything that reveals our present location to me. We are in your SUV. Beyond that, I am not clear on any other details about our location."

"You can take the blindfold off."

When she did, she was immediately frustrated because she realized that they were parked just outside the lab at the Jeffersonian.

"Teasing me by making me wear this blindfold unnecessarily has diminished my good mood about the sentiment you offered earlier," she grumbled, tossing the blindfold back at him. But before she could exit the vehicle, he stopped her.

"You're not heading back inside to work tonight, Bones. But I did have a reason for bringing you here."

"Booth..."

"Working with you here saved me. You'd already saved me from my self-destructive gambling and from continuing to waste my career by just coasting along. You'd helped inspire me to renew my purpose, to clean up my act, and to be a partner worthy of you."

She smiled but still looked a bit frustrated and confused.

"And here... in this very lab, we have spent many days and nights working and laughing and bickering and loving each other. But that's not why we're stopping here. This is where you made a call and lied to the FBI when I'd been kidnapped to send a team in to rescue me. It is also where you were when you called my brother—and broke all sorts of rules—to help save my life from Taffett. You don't lie, and you don't break rules, but you did that both times—to save me."

"I love you, Booth. You don't need to remind me..."

He cut her off, leaning forward quickly and grasping her arms, pulling her in for a devastatingly deep and wondrous kiss. "Thank you for saving me, Bones."

She kissed him again, and the partners quickly lost themselves in the heat that always blazed brightly between them. Just short of becoming publicly indecent, Booth pulled back and handed the blindfold to her again.

Determined not to wear it again and convinced that she could entice Booth to forget about everything except making love to her, she teased him, "I would be perfectly content to slip into the back of the SUV with you, Booth. I don't understand why you would want to…."

"Put on the blindfold, Bones. We have an agenda to follow, and making love isn't on it-yet."

"I thought you liked it when I was spontaneous," she cajoled.

"I do... But we have somewhere else to go first," he said as he pulled out into traffic. Sighing, she complied with his wishes.

She'd barely tied the blindfold when he stopped the car again. She listened as he left the car and then heard him open the door for her. Again, he helped her from the car. After a short walk, he helped her sit down.

She felt his arm wrap around her shoulder as he whispered, "Where are we, Bones?"

Ever alert, she tried to assess her surroundings. The bench was metal and it was cool to the touch. She heard people walking by on occasion, but she could not discern anything specific about their location. They sat for several moments as she tried to catalogue what she could about her environment. Just as she was prepared to consider defeat, a loud siren drew near. She listened as the ambulance pulled up and a patient was unloaded and wheeled into the hospital. "Is that an ambulance?" she asked, turning her face to his for confirmation as if she weren't blindfolded.

He felt a hard tug on his heart. He loved the expression on her face. He loved how honest and eager she always was. "Yes," he whispered, kissing her tenderly and slipping the blindfold from her face.

Again she blinked to focus her eyes. But then a lump formed in her throat when she identified their location. Turning to him quickly, she was full of worry and concern for him.

"Are you ill? Have you been hallucinating? Is that why you're doing this, Booth? Is your tumor back?"

Having been unprepared for her worry, Booth reacted less quickly than he should have. "Oh... no... Bones, I'm sorry. No, I'm not sick. I promise. I'm fine. That's not why I brought you here."

She exhaled loudly in relief. He saw tears in her eyes and felt terrible for worrying her. He hugged her and apologized for making her worry.

After a few moments, he smiled at her lovingly and asked, "Why are we here, Bones?"

"This is the hospital where we came when they found your brain tumor. I assume that you are thanking me for staying with you and watching over you."

"I am grateful for that, but that's not why we're here."

"It's not?" she asked in confusion. He sighed and hoped that giving her even more evidence of the strength of their connection and the fact that she could trust him… trust them... would work.

"No. We're here because this is where you wrote that story that you deleted—the one where we were together and happy. You had faith in and hope for us then, Bones. And your story kept me company, gave me peace, and helped me figure out that I was really in love with you and that I had been for a very long time."

The way she smiled at him warmed his heart. "Neither of us was brave enough to talk about it back then, but that was a very important turning point for us. You wrote down that we were in love and that we were going to have a baby... After I went back to work, I actually talked to Cam and to Sweets about being in love with you, Bones. I couldn't have found the courage to do that if you hadn't told me that story about us owning the bar. You gave me a taste of what life with you could be like, Bones. And after that I never really wanted anything else."

"Me, either," she whispered, emotion filling her expression and bringing tears to her eyes once more. This time, she was the one who initiated the kiss, and they both lost track of time as they held one another close.

Sometime later, Booth rose and took her hand, pulling her up and helping her to her feet. They repeated the pattern they'd been following. He asked her to put the blindfold back on the moment they were in the car.

"Booth..."

"Only 2 more stops, Bones. Humor me, okay?"

"I do find it difficult to argue with you when you are reminiscing so well about the evolution of our relationship. I suppose you counted on the fact that emotion would make that the case."

"C'mon, Bones. It's another short trip."

Their next stop was noisy. She heard the jingle of a bell as they entered a very loud public place. Embarrassed, she reached for the blindfold, only to feel Booth grip her hands and pull them down, wrapping both sets of entwined hands around her midsection as he guided her across the building. A few moments later, he helped her sit on a stool.

When he removed the blindfold, she was only slightly surprised to find that they were in the Founding Fathers bar. But what struck her immediately was their precise location.

"Booth," she whispered, turning to take his hand. He smiled at her, his face taut with emotion.

"Let's go home, Booth. We can… we can talk and reminisce there. Somewhere private. This is not necessary. There's no reason for you to..."

"Have a drink with me, Bones," he said quietly. She looked at him, the importance of his choice of words not lost on her any more than his choice of their seats at the bar. They hadn't sat in those two seats since the night he'd proposed to Hannah and she had called her to go the bar to be with him. She nodded to the bartender, and he poured a shot for each of them. They clinked their glasses and downed the drinks just as they had so long ago. Booth motioned to the bartender for another round and stared down at the bar as he spoke, his emotional reflection on past events evident in the expression on his face.

"I had hurt you, Bones. And even though I'd been so lousy to you when I was with Hannah, you came and stayed with me. I was so angry and broken back then. I was terrible company, and I was completely drunk. And the things I said to you..."

Temperance reached out and placed her hand upon his forearm, "You were hurting, Booth. I knew..."

He smiled at her in gratitude, "It made no sense that you would help me–not when I was so unavailable and generally unbearable to be around. But I'm so glad you stayed anyway, Bones. I... You made dealing with losing Hannah bearable. You helped me move on. And, more importantly, you reminded me how big your heart was and how very much I wanted... needed... to be with you."

"I love you, Booth," she whispered before slipping off the barstool and into his waiting embrace. The lovers forgot their surroundings and immersed themselves in one another. Sometime later, she asked him to take her home, the suggestion that they would make love lingering in her eyes.

"One more stop first, love," he whispered before kissing her again.

Frustrated but encouraged to hear that they wouldn't long postpone their lovemaking, she consented.

A few moments later, she was again allowing her partner to lead her through the artificial darkness the blindfold created. However, the hour was growing late, and this location was not brightly lit, the blackness they traveled through seemed even darker. This location was also very quiet, and she was absolutely unable to identify their location based on its sounds.

When they stopped walking, instead of asking her where they were, Booth exhaled deeply and then put his arms around her. She held onto him tightly. As they embraced, she thought she caught a whiff of a familiar fragrance, but he spoke to her before she could process the thought completely.

"Do you trust me, Bones?"

"Of course, I trust you, Booth," she replied impatiently as she reached again for the blindfold.

"Not yet," he whispered, preventing her from removing it just yet.

Booth said a silent prayer before saying anything more. He knew his hands were clammy. He knew that she'd notice immediately. But he'd come this far, and she was still with him. He plunged ahead, hoping that she would just forgive him and forget all about this if she didn't like what happened next.

"Do you know what our current location has in common with every other stop tonight?" he asked.

"Of course not, given the fact that I have no idea where we are!" she grumbled in exasperation.

Dismissing her frustration, he continued, "Tonight we went to just a few of the places where you have behaved irrationally and illogically."

As expected, she took his observation as a distasteful insult, "What? I am... I thought we were discussing significant memories in our relationship. I cannot believe that you dragged me all over town blindfolded only to insult me, Booth."

"Hang on, Bones. There's a point here."

She waited impatiently. Then he explained things about matters of the heart to her carefully as he had done literally hundreds of times before.

"I'm not insulting you. I'm giving you a compliment. You are always so logical and rational, and I can't help but notice when you're not. And except for a few times with Christine and with your dad, these illogical and irrational actions have been to help me or to save me... or for us."

"Oh," she sighed softly, realization dawning.

"And I'd love you anyway, but I love you so much for being willing to abandon what you hold dearest for our family… for our daughter... for me... for us."

"Booth."

"I wish I could erase all the damage I've done and all the mistakes I've made, Bones. But I know I can't. I'm just grateful that you have forgiven me and that you still love me."

She reached for the blindfold, and instead of stopping her, he tugged on it to remove it for her.

And then he watched in horror as the color drained from her face and all the good feeling and emotions he'd stirred in her that night evaporated.

_Damn..._

Glancing quickly around her, Temperance's head spun with the realization of their location. Her heart hammered in her chest and she fought the urge to run away… anywhere... quickly.

Booth started damage control, fairly certain that it would not be enough, "I can't take away your pain, and I can't promise not to hurt you again, Bones. Look, I promise that it will be fine if you want to forget all about this night—as long as we stay together."

He saw her panic and her fear and he fought against them.

"I know it's asking a lot... maybe too much, but I need you to do it again, Bones. Just one more time."

He couldn't be asking that... She could never make the mistake of being that vulnerable again—even with him... She'd put all that behind her and couldn't experience that pain again. Her instincts toward flight became nearly unbearable.

He jumped back in to stop her—he had to get her to listen, "Just one more time, Bones. Be completely irrational and illogical. I love that you brought me here and asked me to marry you. It's one of my favorite memories. That's why I brought you here tonight. I won't forget a single word you said to me that day. But this is different. This time, I'm the one who's asking. I'll love you no matter what, so there's no risk for you. Nothing has to change. But everything can. It's completely up to you..."

She still looked terrified, so when she didn't say anything, he continued, praying silently that this wasn't the worst decision he'd ever made. He got down on one knee and took her hand in his.

"Please marry me, Bones. Be my wife. We can make it official and record for the sake of history how much I love you and how we always want to be together. It can be tomorrow or fifty years from now. As long as I get to be married to you, it will be worth any wait. Temperance Brennan, please do me the honor of becoming my partner in life and in work... and in marriage. I will love you until I die—even longer, Bones. Say yes. Please say yes."

Her instincts told her to leave... that he'd understand... that he really intended no pressure. She realized the risk he had taken, and, while she appreciated his concern and worry, she was reeling from the enormity of what he proposed. Her hand still clasped firmly in his, she sank onto the nearest bench, hoping that the stability of its frame would help steady her mind and her metaphorical heart.

The look on his face as she did so simply floored her. She watched him fill with regret and remorse and with concern for her. This wasn't like the night outside the Hoover building. He didn't look sad for himself or for what he might lose. He did, however, look completely devastated that he might have hurt her again.

"Bones, I'm sorry. Let's just go home, okay? Forget all about tonight. Except for hearing how much I love you. It's okay, Bones. I get it. I understand."

As he moved rapidly to help her leave, she grasped his hand and held onto it tightly. She felt his pain and the emotions she was experiencing were too strong for her—she was unable to speak.

He tried to do damage control, praying it would be enough, "I just had to ask, Bones. But I did, and it's okay. We can just go back."

Emotions running high, she croaked out, "We can't go back, Booth. We've tried that before."

His voice rose to a higher pitch, indicating his sincere distress. "Well, then, let's go forward," he replied, his eyes begging her not to leave him... not to overreact. "Let's just forget that I even brought this up."

"I... I can't do that," she stammered, her face contorted with emotion.

His heart dropped to his gut and then sank lower. "C'mon, Bones. Compartmentalize. I'm an idiot. I'm an ass. Whatever label you need to put on the fact that I was jerk enough to even mention marriage again. Just forget all about it."

"No... I can't," she stammered. He was in purgatory and saw no way out. He could not begin to guess what to say to her.

Arguing with a genius was exhausting on a regular day but it was sheer torture when he was already emotionally drained from spilling his guts about love and sappy things for hours. "Look. Let's just put this behind us and move forward. We can do that. We've done that before. We'll just move forward with our family. That's all I need, Bones." He looked at her earnestly and tried to read in her expression how upset she was.

"No."

"No?! C'mon, Bones. Let's just take some time and talk about things. I know it was taking a huge risk to do this, and I'm sorry for upsetting you. It was a mistake, and I'm really sorry. Let's just go home... We won't have this discussion again. Promise."

"Booth."

He paused in his attempt to lead her back to the car. She hadn't been moving, but he'd been too distracted to notice. He turned to her, the strain of their conversation weighing him down.

"I can't forget about it."

_Dammit, Bones!_ He took a step back toward her, "You're a genius. And you can compartmentalize better than anyone else. Even Sweets says so."

"Not about this..."

Hell, he'd really screwed things up big time. What was he going to do now? Was she going to leave him? He should have known better. But now that he'd stirred the pot, he knew better than to avoid the conversation speeding his way like a freight train whether or not he was ready for it.

Bracing himself to face the unthinkable and to fight her, he put his hands on his hips, and challenged her, "Well, what do you want to do, Bones?"

"I thought that was obvious until you started panicking and stopped listening to me. I have been trying to accept your proposal. If it is still valid," she said matter-of-factly.

"You... what?"

She waited for her words to register with him and watched as he shifted from terror to confusion to slow but heady understanding. _I'll be damned. She wasn't saying no. She was saying... YES?!_

"I will marry you," she offered for emphasis.

His lips ravaged hers with the delirium of a man whose life had just been saved. She melted into his embrace, tears of happiness salting the unending kiss of lovers who'd finally become engaged.

A few moments later, he pulled back, searching her eyes as if they could reveal her innermost secrets.

"You're sure. You're not just doing this for me... against your will?"

She smiled and reminded him how stubborn she was, "I do not do anything against my will, Booth. I may be consenting to marry you, but I remain of sound mind and in complete control of my faculties otherwise."

He grinned at her and waggled his eyebrows, "Then I must not be kissing my fiancée the right way yet," he teased before leaning in to reignite the fire between them.

I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I I&I

Later, when they had parked the car and were walking up the walk to their front door, he teased her, "That has to be the most convoluted response to a proposal in the history of proposals, Bones." He nibbled a trail down her neck as she struggled to focus long enough to unlock the door. "Were you trying to kill me?"

"'I will marry you' was absolutely direct, Booth. Perhaps you were just slow to comprehend..."

He cut her off by spinning her around and pressing her up against the door, paralyzing her with a kiss meant to devastate her ability to tease him.

"Say it again, Bones."

She smiled at him and pulled his lips back down to hers, "I... will... marry... you..."

And they lived...

Happily...

Ever...

After...

_**If only it could be that simple. Thank you again for reading here. I appreciate your taking the time.** _


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